Gas turbines are continuously being modified to increase efficiency and decrease cost. One method for increasing the efficiency of a gas turbine includes increasing the operating temperature. Increases in operating temperature result in more extreme operating conditions which have led to the development of advanced superalloy materials and complex coating systems designed to increase the heat tolerance of the turbine components and protect the turbine components from reactive gasses in the hot gas path of the gas turbine.
The temperature tolerance of a turbine component may also be increased through the use of cooling channels. Cooling channels are typically incorporated into the metal and ceramic substrates of turbine components used in high temperature regions of gas turbines. However, the distance between the cooling channels and the surface of the turbine component exposed to the hot gas path of the gas turbine affects the cooling effect of the cooling channels. Increasing thicknesses of protective coatings on turbine components separating the cooling channels from the hot gas path decreases the effectiveness of cooling channels.